As Slow As The Heart Beats
by May a Chance
Summary: 'Ba-dum, ba-dum, ba-dum; as slow as the heart beats, I turn to face the cold, dark Maze.' I don't remember what I did, none of it. When I asked, they looked at me as though I were mad, but I don't! So why, why did they do this to me? I don't suffer in silence because they are Banishing me.


**Disclaimer: I do not own this amazing franchise know as the Maze Runner. All rights go to James Dashner, the author of the Maze Runner, and his publishing company whom he probably sold the rights to. This story is written purely for my entertainment with nothing to do with profit or recognition. "I write what I want to write, I write what amuses me, it's totally for myself."- J.K. Rowling.**

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><p>Ba-dum, ba-dum, ba-dum…<p>

My heart pounds in a chaotic beat, refusing to allow me the calm I so desperately need, not just to sooth myself, but to sooth my friends, too. I force my breathing slower and quiet it, too. My knees ache against the cold, stone ground as a figure looms above me.

Ba-dum, ba-dum, ba-dum…

My heartbeat has quickened again. I know who it is but my mind has yet to process the situation. Hesitantly, I look up and instantly wish that I had not. The figure seemed as tall as a giant, almost as tall as the walls surrounding us.

With a final jerk, the collar tightened around my neck. As a last act of kindness, though they had never had much of that, the person squeezes my shoulder gently.

"I'm sorry," he whispers.

No, no, no. This couldn't be happening. I do not even remember my own wrong-doing through the haze of confusion and anger caused by the Changing. I must have attacked, I must have, yet I do not remember doing so. My panicked gaze swings around, staring hazily at the friends surrounding me. There… Anger boils up within me as my eyes lock into his. Then I swing my gaze back to the teen who would be my undoing.

I open my mouth and the words I spoke hardly sound like me. "Please, Alby. I swear I was just sick in the head from the Changing. I never would have killed him- I just lost my mind for a second. Please, Alby, _please_!" My voice is a hoarse, rough sound, harsh even against my own ears. I can only imagine what it is like for the others around me. Tall, dark-skinned, leaderly Alby just looks back at me with hard eyes. I feel a whimper bubble out of my throat as he begins.

With a few rough tugs, he assures that the collar is tight and strong against my neck. My heart pounds ever faster as Alby makes sure that it is not too tight, though. Then, not saying a word, he walks back along the pole connected to the collar that wraps around my neck and lifts it. Then, he began to speak.

His voice is clear, loud and ceremonious. "Ben of the Builders, you've been sentence to Banishment for the attempted murder of Thomas he Newbie. The Keepers have spoken and there word ain't changing. And you ain't coming back. Ever**."** He paused ceremoniously and I could feel my heart sinking to as deep as it could go. "Keepers, take your place on the Banishment Pole."

From the corner of my eye, I can see the Greenie, Thomas or as Newt called him Tommy, flinch. It was clear that he didn't want the attention. From somewhere foreign to me, a small pocket of anger bubbled up within me. My thoughts started to race as quickly as my heart beat. I can feel the breath rattling in my lungs as the Keepers step out of the crowd. Zart is right before me, being the strongest of the Keepers. Following him is Gally since he's my Keeper. A whimper bubbles in my chest once again, though deeper now

They were all in position.

"Please!" I screeched. "_Pllllleeeeeeeeese_! Somebody help me! You can't do this to me!" My voice cracked slightly. They were really doing this.

Ba-dum, ba-dum, ba-dum, my heart pounds on.

"Shut up!" Alby roars as the Keepers began to drive me towards the doors. I ignore his words just like I ignored the stares from the other Gladers.

"Someone stop them! Help me!" My voice is as raw and gruff as the grinding of the doors closing; the doors that will soon close upon my time. The doors that would soon close over me and would be my end. "Please!" I wail and snap my head around to gaze at Jeff. He looks away, refusing to meet my eyes. I turn to another. The same thing, his eyes slipping away and a hint of guilt, terrible guilt. My gaze switched to another boy whose gaze slipped away once again. Again and again, each boy's gaze slipped away guiltily. When my gaze would have reached the Greenie, he steps behind a taller boy and I continued to gaze around, panicking as every boy looked away.

"If we let shanks like you get away with that stuff," Alby says in a surprisingly soft voice, though still harsher than most Gladers ever spoke. "We never would've survived this long. Keepers, get ready."

I could almost feel the Keepers behind me breathing in long breaths, not wanting to go through with what is happening, I hope. So close to the edge of death, I'm not even sure if hope exists anymore. I have no hope.

"No, no, no, no, no!" I mumbled under my breath, though loud enough for all to here. "I swear I'll do anything! I swear I'll never do it again! _Pllllleeeeeeese_!" And halfway through my screeched last word, the doors began to close.

Ba-dum, ba-dum, ba-dum, is all I can hear aside from the doors now.

"Keepers, _now_!" Alby roars and my head snaps back as the Keepers begin to try and force me forward. My whole body jerks forwards, causing me to stumble. A scream, as loud as the roar of the doors, escapes my throat. I fall to my knees, hoping desperately that they won't continue to push me onwards, forcing me to my feet, Zart having jerked me to my feet with a snarl. I grab at the collar as best I can with my hands, trying to tear it away.

"_Noooooooooo_!" I wail with spit flying from my mouth as I thrash against the collar, my hands clawing at it desperately. The combination of all the Keepers strength was far too much for me, forcing me closer and closer to the edge of the only home I've ever known. The walls are about to meet as I scream again, "N_oooo_!" repeating it over and over again. I try to plant my feet in the grass, but it only lasted a split second and the next thing I know I stand the cold, hard ground of the place I know only as the Maze. Within the second, I stand there, four feet from my home, five from safety as the walls are about to close.

With a final last effort, I twist around so that my whole body faces back to the Gladers.

"_Hold_!" Alby shouts.

I scream, then, without a pause, a sound that I know not where it came from, for it was a piercing, bestial, lunatic cry that came with feeling my vocal cords shriek at me in pain. At the last second, Zart unattaches the pole from the final piece attached to my own neck, pulling it back into my home. They have left me to my banishment.

And as the doors slam shut, so do all my hopes, dying for a final time.

"Please," I sob out. "I don't know what happened. Oh, Greenie, I'm so, _so_ sorry."

Ba-dum, ba-dum, ba-dum; as slow as the heart beats, I turn to face the cold, dark Maze.

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><p><strong>I hope that someone other than me can appreciate the brilliance of the small characters. I also hope this wrenched someone's heart as much as mine.<strong>


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